Faefrost

I don't completely disagree with you. The figs collectibility has become sort of a mini game to a lot of us. Personally in my case I mainly buy sets that I want the principle build for. Star Wars sets it almost always has to be a ship or subject that draws me in. The only real exception to this is real good character figs mixed in a nice low affordable set ( ie desert skiff). But the figs are often enough to push me one way or another on a borderline set. I may not love the subject, but it is cool enough if I can also use the figs for something. In the case of the ghost train, the ghost figs are really useful for almost any moc or desired scene. They work with anything so major bonus there. Lots of cool moc or story telling options there. I love the cool period plane. The train just doesn't fit or blend with anything I do. And the set is way expensive just for some ghosts and a plane. If I can get at least the ghosts brought alternate means then the relative value of the set vs it's price shifts into the red zone, if you know what I mean.

I just got one of these on clearance at Walmart for $19 USD. The Barnes and Noble Offshoot chain BooksAMillion also had a lot of the PQ sets priced deliciously low. For $20 this set is a steal just forthe interesting pieces and colors.

Thanks for the review. Those spectacular minifigs in such a nice low cost set really make this the showstopper of the summer.

The ghost train is sort of breaking my heart. I love the ghosts, but as you say a poly bag eliminates the need for the set. And I love that little retro plane, which would go well with some of my other ones like the PQ biplane. The train itself is kind of meh to me. It's too big and too weird to really display with anything else, it's not something I would simply use as a parts source, and I really don't have shelf or storage space for it.

There is actually a pretty good listing of all of the sets in the set index here. If you click on the master index thread at the top of this forum you will find a link to it. As far as where to start? If it were me, I would start at the beginning. http://www.eurobricks.com/sieg/dex/search.php?mode=page&what=&start=320&sforum=Sci-Fi Set 487 Space Cruiser. Pretty much the first of the truly swoosh able space sets that left the real world behind and rocketed into our imaginations.

Actually there is one other huge difference with the old fig. On it the red is the base plastic color, with dark blue printed over it. That is what makes the huge difference. Although I agree that the belt/hips in red plastic looks much better. You can print blue over red very easily. But only if it is that darker blue. Red over bright blue is horrible to do.

Right now they have made, in one form or another 4 of DC's "big 7". Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern have all been released. I think it is a safe bet we will see the other three so long as the license holds out. Plus the remaining 3, Flash, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter ( the original Justice League) are colorful and distinctive, while being easy to do as figs. They are making Deadpool and Iron Fist figs. They will make these three sooner instead of later.

I suspect that at least part of the costs for the extra packaging in the PotC sets was probably borne by TT games marketing budget. Most of the extra materials that the cardboard and plastic was there to protect we're marketing mats for the Lego PotC video game. The poster and the cards etc. that sort of thing skews the visable costs to we the end users as it probably involves a case of an internal budget transfer. Short answer TT games, the makers of the Lego video games, probably paid for the cardboard stuff since it holds stuff that makes the kiddies want their game. Even in the lower cost sets where TLG normally wouldn't spring for the extra packaging.

That's not a MOC. That's pure straight up sculpture using Lego as a medium. I am in awe sir.

So that's what is called a Bloodmill? For some reason I was expacting something a bit more painful? Possibly a large wheel with Arnold Schwarznegger chained to it? Cow power seems somehow a letdown after a name like that. They all look amazing however. I am completely in love with that water mill. I love the simple details of that roof.

I thought of this while posting in the " licensed" forum earlier. TLG has a huge license with Disney. Outside of Cars and Toy Story we have not seen a lot of stuff from Pixar. But Pixar is about to release a nice new movie in a medieval Celtic setting. "Brave". If Lego were to make some sets of that would they not work well in with the other castle stuff? Heck! Even if they made them as an offshoot of the Friends line, we would still have some nice castle themed parts to work with.

I kind of agree with you. The Frodo minifig just seems to perfectly capture the character and the actor. The Gandalf one while technically correct just feels a little bland. More like a generic Kingdoms Wizard than Gandalf. I'm hoping in later sets they improve and spice him up a bit. A little more torso detail and some printing on his hat would go a long way to help. And a better staff.

I would so love to see an actual Jules Verne heme. Heck I think it is public domain now. I don't think there is even a license involved. Although they do have that nice license with Disney... So a Disney based Nautilous would be a treat. Put that sucker up against the Black Pearl and Imperial Flagship! Actually following even further with the Disney license... There is a lot they could do with Pixar, besides Cars. The new movie Brave looks like a great way to do some Kingdoms/ castles subjects in a cool Celtic flavor. And a series based on The Incredibles has a ton of possibilities. Super Heroes meets Agents, all in a format compatible with the DC and Marvel stuff? That's gotta have some merit. ( wanders off to contemplate how to convert the mime CMF into Bomb Carnage)

The first place we will most likely see it will be a set based on Faramirs charge from RotK. Weren't those horses fully outfitted? I can't remember if any of the Rohan horses were draped. I don't think they had full armor? Having the new horse in hand, I like it. The changes are nice and subtle. It blends extremely well with the previous generation of horses, so well that it makes the creation of "frankenhorses" kinda pointless. Yeah the new head is a little smaller and rounder. But it takes a lot of looking to have it really be noticed. The issue with the old horse head pieces is in reality a non issue. Since the only really noticeable difference in the horses is the head, and the head armor covers the head... It really does no harm simply using the old horses in those situations. Most times you are using the head piece you are also either using barding or it is pulling a carriage. Both of those situations would block the use of the new horses pose able features anyway. So there is no real reason to swap them out with the new. The actual pose ability is a little more limited then I expected. The joined rear legs does restrict it more. I had hoped that it would allow for a more varried walk/run/rearing combination. But really you only have two. Walk/stand and rearing. Oh and after you do put it rearing, expect to spend a minute tinkering with it on a hard flat surface to get it to stand level again.

That's harder to do then we might think. Bright red printing or paint is always an issue. It tends to be more translucent then you would like and get color shifted by the underlying color. Some underlying base colors cause more problems than others. For really bright red you want a yellow base under it. While a blue or green base underneath comes out looking like that pic.

The box art and published pictures really don't do it justice. If you are looking for a SciFi or genre type " ship" subject, this is one of the best Lego has ever made. Easily on par with the recent X Wing and Y Wing sets. Just a lot of little details that show it was really well thought out, like the brick built pilots seat with headrest. ( easily the best I have seen in Lego). It looks kinda chunky and toylike on the box. In you hands it looks and feels like a great sleek and believable plane.

It looks like my TRU got another full shipment last night. They now have the full LotR line. Helms Deep looks better than I thought. Weather top looks great as well. ( if only I had the budget for all of them ) They also had all of the City Mining sets and all of the Monster Hunters except the Zombies one that I was looking for.

It's a world of difference. Also keep in mind that it took decades for all parties to agree to the above mentioned batman/spiderman crossing. It was at best a one shot deal, and still causes the licensing lawyers to shudder in revulsion. But DC and Marvel had strong marketing reasons to do it. It was an event driven marketing stunt that benefitted both. There is no business upside to Lego seeking a Hasbro product like MLP. There is no reason to do it. In comics there is a certain synergy between creative houses. Something that boosts one typically benefits all as they are a niche market. But toys? Not so much. Pure cutthroat competition. There is no reason, nor any perceivable benefit for them to ever consider working with a competitors toy line or license. The only thing that would change that would be a merger or acquisition. Heck even the projects presence on CuuSoo is technically feeding the competor marketing info and data. I'm surprised it hasn't been killed for that reason alone. The day it crosses 10k we will get a simple and politely worded message from TLG informing us that while they like ponies and understand the fans interest, as a standard matter of business practice they don't license the direct competitors toy lines.

LOL those Space Police III civilian vehicles always make me think of Futurama. I can always picture that Limo as the "Don Bot's". Or maybe the tow truck haulingthe Milenium Falcon back to a Spaceport I find that Hagrid's Hut makes an acceptable Witches Hut in the Medeival Village. Sort of a lazymans way to make one without designing and working up a MOC.

Seriously? Does anyone else find themselves looking at sets, and doing the mental math at how well they would work in a completely different theme or setting with only mild modifications if any? I find I can't help myself. And I don't mean simply the minifigs, nor do I mean that a new set can be incorporated into a MOC of some sort. I basically mean taking the new kit and more or less re commissioning it into its new theme home. Or is this just one of my weird twisted mental disorders? What I mean is things like this; My three main displays that are active right now are Aliens Conquest, agents / Action type stuff, and a small Medieval Market Square that has burst its shelving and is invading my office. So, ok. Happen to be looking at a store shelf of Ninjago stuff (something I dont collect or understand, at all) Ooo Look. There is a nice blue Jay's Lightning Fighter. That might work well as an AC fighter. Take it home, jazz it up a bit. Strip off all the weird gold trim. Add some missiles and lasers and some landing gear, Give it a hot pink Galaxy Girl pilot, and we now have a worthy craft to defend the earth from invading hordes of brain eating little green dudes. The place actually works better in the new theme. Sometimes it seems to take control on its own. I brought home some Avengers sets this week. Immediately noticed that the color scheme of Shield was exactly the same as that used by our friendly neighborhood Agents. You remember those guys dressed like classic shield operatives... driving the big truck with the stylized A down the road. On the plus side Agent Chase you and your crew get a brand new shiny Quinjett. On the downside you get a brand new Hulk. Have fun, let us know how it works out. There just seems to be a certain synergy between some types of sets. That Police Incident Command Truck #7728 sure looks a lot like those non descript trucks that the government sent in in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Heck the little off road Police Command Vehicle 4205 looks suspiciously like the truck that ran over Thor when he arrived. Please tell me that I am not the only one that does this?

Oh wow! You have really captured it there. I love it. And the subject is everyday and yet so spectacular. Well done!

All of the younger male types of my acquaintance love the Dino sets and have at least one, at their own insistence. Which is good because otherwise the adults would choose something else just for better value. The pricing on the Dino sets is worse than the licensed ones because of the painted Dino's. I figure the Monster Fighters are what will really drive them from the shelves. Yeah kids like dinos... But we talking werewolves and zombies here. I keep a close watch for when Target will put them on sale. I think that big truck and the helicopter would work well as Alien wreckage recovery units for my Earth Defense Force. Just populate them with some CMF has mat guys and presto.

Maybe the first set will feature a Kurt Russel minifigs... And a dog?

It's my understanding that the grab bags typically come from returned merchandise or sets with packaging to damaged to sell. I don't think they are simply parting out any current sale able merchandise.

Well the my little pony project they can simply delete out of hand at any time, at least according to the newer rules. It's a competitors toy line. It's not a theme or a cartoon show. It was created as a toy by another company, and sits on toy shelves opposite their friends lines. I don't think Lego ever has or ever would sub license someone else's toys. ( now a few of their direct competitors... They'll license someone else's toys in a heartbeat, see Transformers, HotWheels etc) The Star Wars bucket is a little more problematic. Lego has that license, and it isn't a bad idea per se, just a bit unsexy. That one will eventually die on it's own. But who knows maybe it will inspire them to do something interesting with a bucket set.